The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-17

4 t..
| Mr.. F0gg presented this amendment, to b,
added to the bill as an additional section
| 1.-The provisions of this act shall not apply
| except as to minors, where a special con
tract is made between employer and EN-
/ pl0yes for extra hours of labor"
| Mr.. Harrington of Norridgewock, pro
| posed a series of amendments that would
scale down the penalties of the Locney bill
| one half.
Then there was talk of re- commitment but
as It was then o'clock. an adjournment was
| made until 4.30 p. m.
| When the House assembled at 4.30 o'cloe
| very large number of spectators were pres
| ent. The members were nearly all present
The afternoon debate was very heated
Many amendments were presented or sug
any attempt to modify the bill. But the
amendments kept coming in. Mr.. Clark oI
Caials. offered one putting the age under
Whlch no minor may work mOres than ten
hours at fifteen instead of eighteen years,
ana another excepting from the manufactur-
ing establishments, "saw mills used for the
manufacture of long and short lumber. y
Then Mr.. Pattangall of Pembroke, offered
amendments to strike out women from the
provisions of the bill, so that it would be
lett TO apply only to minors under eighteen
years; to strike out the whole of the section
eight, requiring manufacturers to keep on
hle a certificate of the age of every child in
their employ under sixteen years of age; and
to amend section four so that there should
be no forfeiture of wages when an employe
should be discharged for reasonable cause.
MIR. Shaw offered two amendments, one re-
lating to perishable goods, and the other
striking out the clause providing for the
starting of machinery ten minutes before
time: Then Mr.. Clark of Calais, presented
another to except from the provisions of the
months during the year" Finally, Mr.. Ran
dali Of Augusta capped the climax by hu-
m0rously suggesting that there be added to
the bill this section: "The foregoing pro-
visions shall not be construed to apply to
men, women or children The friends of
Two OF its enemies could agree on the same
amendment. Mr.. Wakefield of Bath showed
resolution from Bath Knights of Labor
asking him to vote against bill including
women only. AT least one other member
mad In his pocket telegram from the Master
workman Of prominent X. of l.. Assembly
asking Tor the defeat Of such bill. No very
formal speeches were made during the after
noon, but Messrs Pattangall, Looney, Will
son of Belfast, Fogg, Bradley of Vassaboro,
and number of others joined in a general
sskirmish. Mr.. Wilson of Belfast accused
the politicians of promising one thing before
election, and doing another thing now. Mr..
Pattangall avowed his independence of poll
tlelans, called the Knights of Labor an
infamous concern" and said that when the
Legislature of Maine became a bob on the
tall OF the knights of Labor kite he proposed
to leave the country. Then he pitched into
MI Looney, who brought down the House
ny ty r,etortlng ,t that the opponents of the major
corner of fence that could make more noise
than the cattle on hundred hills"
me debate was growing hotter and more
dubious when Mr.. Dow moved that the bill
be recommltted to the labor committee with
instructions to incorporate into the same sub
nf bn for h,,.-
eau cf labor statistics, and provide for one
commissioner with a suitable salary to pre-
SIDE over the bureau of labor with superyi-
sion over the enforcement of the law and the
preparation OF statistics; provided ais o, that
ne ne tne commissioner for the examination
into the immediate causes of strikes and lock
outs, and for arbitration in cases where such
may be acceptable to both parties to such
dlsagreements and such other features as
may be properly included in a comprehensive
Mr.. Bryant, of Pittsfeld, of the labor COM
mltteo, favored the re-committment. Mr..
Moore, Of Deering, also favored the recon-
mlttment, adding that the manufacturers
should be considered as well as the laborers.
MI. Condor suggested that it might be a
good idea to amend the bill so that men and
women may contract to work more than ten
hours If they wish to, but so that this con
tract may first be approved by the labor
commission.
l.
ton about all the amendments. The house
did not adopt any of them; they were for
gotten when re-c0mmittment was talked of
On the vote the House refused to have the
yeas and nays, called, but voted 76 to % to
reeommit the bill
Its too early to say what the labor COM
mlttee VIII do. The friends of the majority
Dill were very much disappointed, and their
opponents were lond in their prophecies that
the bill had been killed; Other good judges
were just as free to declare that the bill
would come back from the committee with
lew amendments and pass all right. The
truth is that the House had become so
stirred up by the vigorous and often personal
attacks OF the day, or the two days for that
m%aIter, % tnat II Is difficult to say what they
will do after the bill has been in committee
and the House has calmed down. There is,
however, feeling tonight that the labor
committee will put the two bills together,
keeping the Looney bill in its essential pro-
visions, adding only larger salary to the
commissioner that he may perform the duties
of statistcian also. Then, when the bill is
reported back, there will be some new and
powerful recruits TO assist in putting 1t
through.
An important Matter Before the Ju-
dietary Committee.
The three County Commissioners of Cum
berland county, with their attorney, George
Libby, Esq, were before the judiciary COM
mittee this afternoon to advocate measure
to amend sec. SO of chap. 81 of the r. s., in
relation to libels and Inonitions. They claim
that the fee for the monition entry and order
which now so to the city of Portland, should
be abolished so far as the Municipal Court of
Portland is concerned. They also claim that
the fifty cents which the officer receives for
libelling liquors, should be reduced to twen-
ty-hve cents, and that the fifty cents received
by the officer for executing the order to de-
stroy should be reduced to twenty-five cents.
They further claim that the dollar received
by the Recorder of the Municipal Court for
posting libels, which he does as private
citizen, by order of the court, should be re-
dueed to twenty-five cents. They said that
in 1886 the Recorder received for these fees
$2043, in addition to his salary of $500, with
$500 for clerk hire On the other hand,
Judge Knight and County Attorney Seiders
claimed that the. law giving the courts fees
to the city should not be changed because as
the city pays. these judges salary, it is enti-
tied to the fees, especially as all the penal
ties and fines 60 to the county.
In the matter. of the recorded fees, they
said 1886 was an exceptional year. They had
not been so large before, and probably would
not be again. Then, the Recorders duties
are many. Last year, over 3400 erimin al
cases and 100 civil cases were disposed of in
the police court. These criminal cases were
more than in all the State beside The Re-
corder pays $500 to his clerk, and last year
paid $500 or $500 for extra clerk hire. I'm
der all these circumstances they did not
think the amount received by the Recorder
excessive. The Judiciary committee have
taken no action in this matter.
OF interest to Portland.
The bill to establish reformatory for
women has been referred to the next legis-
lature by the committee on finance.
The bills relating to Pride's and Stroud
water bridges were to have come up in the
| Senate today, but owing to the illness OF
| Senator Wescott their consideration was
| postponed until tomorrow.
The Back Cove bill passed to be engrossed
| in the Senate today. 1t has already passed
| this stage in the House.
Sweden and the Swedes.
Hon. w. w. Thomas, Jr., will deliver in
Representatives Hall this evening, his lee
| ture on "Sweden and the Swedes.'' The in
dications are that there will be large audi
| ence.
Railroad Matters.
The Bangor people who came here to Sc
cure the repeal of the Monsoon railroad char
ter which allows the road to build to Moose
head Lake, decided to give up the contes